Spare-tire cover.



H. COHEN.

SPARE TIRE COVER.

upmonzon FILED use 7, 1908.

1,012,247. Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

3 S EETEr-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR 8m v A (our-In PunookAIn cuuwasmmflommc.

H. COHEN.

SPARE TIRE COVER.

nrmouxon mum mm. 1, 1908.

1,012,247. Patented Dec.19,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR SPARE TIRE COVER.

APPLICATION FILED D220. 7, 19GB. 1,012,247. Patented Dec. 19, 1911. 1

3 SHEBTS-SHEBT 3 19mm: 1 51400 n'toz COLUMBIA mxocllm cm. IASMW. D. t.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HYMAu coHnu, or NEW Yours, N. Y.

SPARE-TIRE COVER. l 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HYMAN COHEN, a subject of the Emperor of Russia, residing in the city of Xew York. borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of Xew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spare-Tire Covers, of which the following is a specification.

T his invention relates to means for covering and protecting a spare or extra tire, such as is usually carried by owners or drivers of automobiles to replace a tire in use which has become punctured or damaged and, therefore, atleast temporarily unfit for use. It is well known that the annular configuration of these tires renders necessary the employment of a special form of cover or casing, if the appearance of the incased tire which is usually secured to some convenient portion of the body of the auto1nobile-and general convenience and ready accessibility are taken into consideration. Asmore generally employed co-day these tire covers are made to approximately conform to the shape of the tire, and are provided with one or another form of fastening or securingmeans. Furthermore, eflort has. been made to enhance the degree of protection afforded by the cover by overlapping all exposed edges thereof in a downward direction, in order to more nearly perfectly shed rain, dust, oil

'from the machine, or other matter which might prove deleterious to the tire. This idea of more thoroughly protecting the tire against water and dirt is undoubtedly worthy of consideration, but foremost among the desirable qualities which a tire cover should possess is that of ease of removal of the cover when it is desired to use the tire, and, similarly the ease of wrapping this cover about an extra tire and fastening the same in the desired positionon the machine.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a spare tire cover or case which may be placed upon a tire in the shortest possible space of time and which will permit of the removal of the tire therefrom with the least possible effort and delay, at the same time being snugly and firmly held in position around the tire and attording a degree of protection which 13 undoubtedly suliicient for all practical purposes. I

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Application filed December 7, 1908. Serial No. 466,215.

drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tire cover with its inclosed tire; Fig. 2 is a vertical central transverse section thereof, the dotted lines illustrating the mannerin which the cover is removed; Fig. 3 is a perspective frontview of the same with one end of the cover partially removed; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the tire and its protecting case; Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the inside overlapping ends of the flaps: Fig. (3 is a similar view of the outside overlapping ends of the cover; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the retaining s1 ing-strap, illustrating the manner of generating and applying the yielding forces which retain my tire cover in its closed condition yet permit of ready removal of the same from the tire. Fig. 8 illustrates one of two substantially semi-circular straps which may be employed instead of a single circular strap; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a foldable or collapsible strap, and Fig. 10 shows the collapsible strap in its folded condition.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, numeral 11 refeis to any usual form of tire for automobile or other vehicles, and while I have herein shown the outer tire or shoe, it will be apparent that my casing may be equally well employed as a protecting medium for the inner tube of'what are known as double-tube tires and for other annular bodies.

My ca ing is preferably made from waterproof duck or drill out into sections of such configuration that when suitably secured together the same form a wrapper which, when placed around an annular body, such as the tire shovn, will fitv the same with a reasonable degree of snugncss and without unseemly and inconvenient folds or wrinkles. In other words. it is my desire that this cover, when inclosing a tire, should be itself substantially circular-cylindrical and so far as possible smoothly cover the tire. As the best manner of providing a 'cover of this character, I prefer that it should include what is known as a crown strip 12, to the edges of which are suitably secured the side strips 13 and 1a to which, in turn, are suitably secured, respectively, the interior flaps or strips 15 and 16, these various sections being cut to such configuration that when secured together in the manner indicated, with said flap 15 overlapping the flap 16, a substantially circular-cylindrical cover is provided which completely incases the tire. At least the outer 1:) of these inner flaps or strips, and preferably each thereof, is looped back upon itself at its edge and suitably secured to provide an elongated pocket or receptacle 17 at the free edge thereof, extending throughout the entire length of the flap. \l'ithin this pocket or receptacle which is made to snugly retain the same, is inserted a fiat strap or band of normally straight but yieldingly elastic metal 18, such as a steel ribbon, the length of which should approximate the length of the flap. This flat band 18 of elastic metal should be, of course, sutiiciei'itly flexible to permit of its being bent into substantially circular form and elastically distortable by ordinary torsional strains to a reasonable extent without fracture. It will be apparent, particularly by reference now to Figs. 7 and S, that when this metal band is in circular shape there is created, first, the usual forces tending to straighten said hand, which forces are substantially radially directed and which therefore, when said band is in the pocket or receptacle of said flap, tend to hold said flap snugly and firmly against the underside of the inclosed tire; second, the usual resistance totorsional strains, tending to yieldingly retain the flap in place, but which may, however, be overcome by an excess of manual force. It will he therefore apparent that while this band as a whole cannot be, as it were, turned inside out at one operation, it can be so reversed, and thus permit of the opening of the flap which it. secures. by subjecting either the end or the middle of said band to a torsional strain sufficient to overcome its natural tendency to retain its normal shape, which reversal when once started maybe readily continued throughout the whole length of the strap. In other words, the resiliency of the fiat strap or band-enables the same to be what may be termed snapped in and out of place, the flap within which said band is contained, obviously, following the movement of said band and thus becoming either opened or closed, as the case may be. It will be noted that the effect will be substantially the same if one continuous band is employed throughout the whole length of the flap, or if said flap is divided into two independent halves, each half containing a yielding strap or band 19 which is, when in place, substantially semi-circular in form, as shown in Fig. 8. I prefer to employ a single strap, although this possesses the disadvantage of making the co ver ditiicultto handle as an article of merchandise, said strap preventing the inclosing of the cover within a package of suitable and convenient size. For this latter reason alone, it

is doubtless more desirable to divide the flap, as suggested,'and to place within each section a strap which becomes substantially semi-circular when the cover is in place.

In Figs. 9 and 10, I have shown acollapsible strap, made up of a plurality of short sections 20 20 pivoted together at points near the ends thereof. It will be apparent that if rivets are provided which hold these ends snugly against each other, the strap when extended will have substantially the ame resiliency as the integral strap hereinbefore described. Furthermore, if the pocket or receptacle in theflap islnade to very snugly contain this collapsible strap, the pocket itself will prevent movement of the strap sections with reference to each otherand insure the performance of the same function as those described with reference to the integral strap. At the same time, this sectional strap may be removed, and when the tire cover is sold or oilcred for sale in a folded and wrapped condition, said strap, instead of being somewhat inconvenient to handie on account of its length, if of one piece, may be compactly folded into small compass and readily inclosed in the same package with the cover, to be inserted in the latter when the same is made ready for use.

As suggested, it will be apparent that the outside tiap alone may be provided with the elastic strap or band, the inner flap retainin its proper position on account of the pressure directed thereagainst by the outside tlap and its inclosed spring-band. I have found, however, that best results are obtained by providing a similar band in the edge of the inner flap, in which manner I secure a substantially tightand entirely satisfactory casin It will be apparent that when the cover is in place, about a tire, it may be readily removed by simply grasping the edge of the outer flap and subjecting the spring-band therein to a torsional strain, to twist said band, into the configuration shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the flap being in this manner and by the operation thrown back to the position illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The resiliency of the metal is ofttimes suiticient to cause this operation alone to be sufiicient to reverse the flap throughout its entire length, but if not, a repetition of the operation, at another point, will serve the desired purpose. In a similar manner the cover may be quickly and readily placed upon a tire.

In order to facilitate the placing of the cover upon the tire, I prefer that the former should be provided with aprojecting tongue 21, at one end thereof, said tongue being preferably a continuation of the crown-strip 12, and with a tongue 22 at the other and overlapping end thereof, said tongue 22 not projecting beyond the end of the cover. These tongues 21 and 22 provide what may be termed handles which may be grasped to i draw the cover longitudinally and fit the vided with overlapping flaps at its opening, same snugly upon the tire or other incased i and a flat resilient core in the outermost annular body. flap for forcing the same against the inner As hereinbefore stated, I prefer that the inner flap or flaps 16 be provided with an elastic band, as well as the outer flap ori i Letters Patent:

1. A tire cover, comprising a casing proi tire face, said core comprising a plurality of sections foldable upon each other.

2. A tire cover, comprising a casing provided with overlaping flaps at its opening,

flaps 15, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. \Vhen and a resilientcore in each of said flaps the inner flap or flaps as well as the outer i flap or flaps include this resilient band, it abutting against each other to lock said flaps will be apparent that a much more tight together, said cores comprising a plurality I of sections foldable upon each other.

joint will be insured, if means such as the 3. A tire casing including a split fabric spring pressed clamping leaves 23 are pro Yided secured to the end of the inner flap 16 5 tube having substantially straight parallel and adapted to impinge against the end of superimposed meeting flaps, and a metal the outer flap l5 and apply forces which i band carried by each flap at the peripheral tend to expand said outer flap within said extremity thereof, and being of less width inner flap and thus force said flaps together than that of the flap, said bands being reto form a substantially tight joint. Fursilient, the outer band exerting radial presthermore, it will be apparent that this sure against the inner flap, the bands having clamping means tends to hold the ends of their inner sides in looking engagement with said flaps in place. each other.

Many modifications of minor details ofl In testimony of the foregoi11g,Ihavehere- I claim as new and desire to secure by my improved spare tire cover will doubtless l unto set my hand in the presence of two readily suggest themselves to those skilled l witnesses. in the art to which it appertains, and I there fore do not desire to limit my invention to the specific construction herein shown and described.

HYMAN COHEN.

\Vitnesses:

J. C. LARSEN, FRED H. Bownnsoon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the .Qommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. Y 

